Prosthetics and Orthotics Programme Programme description

The Bachelor’s Degree Programme in Prosthetics and Orthotics is a three-year programme of professional study (180 credits), and students who complete the programme are awarded a Bachelor’s Degree in Prosthetics and Orthotics. After completing the programme and two years of approved practical training, candidates can apply for authorisation as a prosthetist/orthotist pursuant to the Act relating to Health Personnel etc.

The programme description has been devised on the basis of the National Regulations relating to a Common Curriculum for Health and Social Care Education and the Regulations relating to national guidelines for prosthetics and orthotics adopted by the Ministry of Education and Research. The programme was established under the Act relating to Universities and University Colleges and the Regulations relating to Studies and Examinations at OsloMet – Oslo Metropolitan University. The programme description also complies with the recommended guidelines for study programmes issued by the International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics (ISPO).

In accordance with Section 2 of the Regulations relating to national guidelines for prosthetics and orthotics education, the goal of the prosthetics and orthotics programme is to educate reflected and professionally competent prosthetists who can contribute to creating better preconditions for health, quality of life and participation throughout the lives of users of orthopaedic appliances.

Throughout the programme, the student will gain clinical expertise, including skills in designing and adapting orthopaedic appliances (prostheses, orthoses and orthopaedic shoes). Anatomy, physiology, pathology, biomechanics and material technology are key subjects in the programme and form the basis of this expertise. Knowledge from both health and engineering disciplines is combined in the field of prosthetics and orthotics.

The students will learn to carry out clinical assessments and adapt orthopaedic appliances, and acquire knowledge and skills about how to improve the patient's function, correct deformities and prevent pain and/or injuries. To make good assessments during the production of orthopaedic appliances, it is important to acquire knowledge about the properties of materials and the choice of components and joints. In this work, orthopaedic technicians are particularly important partners. Innovative approaches and processes are decisive for a good result. Over the course of the programme, the students will also develop competence in how data technology can be applied, both in clinical evaluations and in the production of individually adapted orthopaedic appliances.

Prosthetists work with people of all ages, with different needs and disabilities, and from different social and cultural backgrounds. Through the programme, the students will develop an awareness of and skills in communication and cooperation with patients, next of kin and other health science professionals. Prosthetists participate in interprofessional teams and sometimes function as consultants when users have complex needs that can only be assessed and resolved through cooperation between several professional groups and/or public agencies.

Prosthetists develop orthopaedic appliances in accordance with technological progress and are actors in quality improvement and development of knowledge-based and sustainable assistive technology in healthcare. Assistive technology is a key part of the programme and prosthetists work on a broad spectre of orthopaedic appliances. The patients’ wishes and expectations regarding activity and participation necessitate well-adapted prostheses and orthoses, and the population’s increasing life expectancy entails a greater need for orthopaedic appliances. The demand for prosthetists is high, both nationally and internationally.

Relevance to working life

Most prosthetists work in private and public orthopaedic technology enterprises. Some enterprises are located in major hospitals. Other potential workplaces include the public administration, special interest organisations for people with disabilities, and enterprises and public agencies that provide medical technology equipment to the healthcare sector. Prosthetists also work in teaching and research.

Relevance to further education

A bachelor's degree in prosthetics and orthotics qualifies students for admission to several different master’s degree programmes, both at OsloMet and at other institutions in Norway and abroad. Master’s degrees in rehabilitation and habilitation, health sciences, biomechanics and movement sciences are particularly relevant.

The target group is everyone who wants to take a bachelor’s degree in prosthetics and orthotics, both for professional practice and as the starting point for further studies. Applicants should be motivated for work in rehabilitation and have technical and practical interest.

The admission requirements are the Higher Education Entrance Qualification or prior learning and work experience. Mathematics R1 + R2 and Physics FYS1 are also requirements.

Applicants must submit a transcript of police records in connection with admission to the programme, cf. the Regulations concerning Admission to Higher Education.

The use of clothing that covers the face is incompatible with taking the programme's theoretical and practical training courses in accordance with Section 7-9 of the Act relating to Universities and University Colleges. During the practical training, the students must comply with the clothing regulations in force at all times at the relevant practical training establishment. 

Applicants should be aware that the students will have to conduct physical examinations of each other, and that they will not be divided by gender in examinations and skills training sessions.

After completing the Bachelor’s Degree Programme in Prosthetics and Orthotics, the candidate should have the following overall learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

The candidate

• has broad knowledge of scientific, technological and social science subjects that are essential in a prosthetist's professional practice
• has broad knowledge of the prosthetist's role and function in preventive, therapeutic and (re)habilitative activities
• is familiar with prosthetics and orthotics’ history, traditions, characteristics, place in society and the discipline in an international context
• is familiar with global challenges relating to assistive technology, public health and the environment in a changing society
• has knowledge of social circumstances and cultural diversity with a bearing on professional practice at the national and international level
• is familiar with research and development work of relevance to prosthetics and orthotics

Skills

The candidate

• can develop and implement a user-centred follow-up plan in an independent manner
• can apply knowledge of prosthetics and orthotics and relevant results from research and development work to practical and theoretical problems and make well-founded choices
• can carry out clinical and orthopaedic technology procedures and processes involved in prevention, treatment and (re)habilitation for persons in need of prostheses and/or orthoses
• can apply relevant materials, equipment, components and techniques
• can explore new and sustainable technology and consider potential areas of application in the field of prosthetics and orthotics
• can find, assess and refer to knowledge-based information and literature and present it in a way that elucidates a problem

General competence

The candidate

• can communicate with users and other partners in a professional manner and practise the profession in an ethically sound manner
• can take a professional approach in a diverse society
• can cooperate in a user-centred and interprofessional manner
• can take an active role in quality assurance, improvement and development, innovation and promotion of services, and professional practice
• can independently apply knowledge and skills by demonstrating cooperation skills and responsibility, and has the ability to reflect on and take a critical approach in his/her professional practice
• can identify own learning and competence needs to be able to keep up to date
• can adhere to national legislation and national and international guidelines
• can, alone or as part of a group, plan and implement relevant projects and complex tasks that take place over time, which can contribute to developing good practices
• can demonstrate insight into creative processes and apply methods used in innovation, service development and entrepreneurship
• can update his/her knowledge in fields relevant to prosthetics and orthotics activities

The content and structure of the study programme are based on the following six competence areas defined in Section 3 of the Regulations relating to national guidelines for prosthetics and orthotics education:

• Technology in Prosthetics and Orthotics – practice and theory

• The functions of the body and biomechanics

• Materials technology and design

• Profession, psychology and communication

• Society, public health and ethics

• Habilitation, rehabilitation and cooperation

• Innovation, production and quality assurance

• Theory of science and research methods

The programme is divided into 17 compulsory courses and incorporates both practical and theoretical teaching at the university and in external practical training. Each year of the programme has a scope of 60 credits.

The first year of study is divided into six courses. One of these courses is common to all students at the Faculty of Health Sciences and provides an introduction to living and working in a digitalised world. The other five courses are subject-specific and will together provide the students with fundamental knowledge about the human being, professional practice in clinical and orthopaedic technology, and lower and upper leg prostheses.

The second year of study is divided into six courses. One of these courses is common to all students at the Faculty of Health Sciences and provides an introduction to knowledge-based practice. This is followed by a course in theory of science and research methods. The other four subject-specific courses focus on disease processes and diseases relevant to the field of prosthetics and orthotics, and on different types of foot orthoses/prostheses and lower limb and spinal orthoses.

The third year of study is divided into five courses. One of these courses is common to all students at the Faculty of Health Sciences and provides an introduction to the health services, legislation and public health. The other four courses include practical training in the subject area lower limb orthoses and knowledge of some of the rarer and more complex orthopaedic appliances. The student will also delve into materials, design, service development, innovation processes and entrepreneurship. The work on the bachelor’s thesis is related to research and development projects available at OsloMet or with other partners.

The study programme’s courses build on one another with gradual progression both in terms of theoretical knowledge and practical skills. All courses have a final exam and/or assessment. Reference is made to the course descriptions for more detailed information about the content of the individual courses.

The academic year is 40 weeks long, and the expected workload is 40 hours per week. This includes scheduled activities, the students’ own activity, required coursework and exams.

Courses and teaching activities taught jointly with other programmes at OsloMet

The Bachelor’s Degree Programme in Prosthetics and Orthotics includes the following courses and teaching activities that also form part of other programmes at the university:

• ORI1060 Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) in Health Care, 5 credits

• ORI1050 Public Health and Health Management, 5 credits

• ORI1070 Technology and Society, 5 credits

• INTERACT (Interprofessional Interaction with Children and Youth)

In the courses ORI1050 Public Health and Health Management (5 credits) and ORI1060 Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) in Health Care (5 credits), different academic environments at the Faculty of Health Sciences join forces to provide the students with a common competence platform in line with national guidelines. In ORI1050, focus is on the health services’ organisation, health legislation and health administration, as well as preventive and health promoting work. In ORI1060, students will learn about the rationale for evidence-based practice, with a focus on critical thinking and shared decision-making. For more details, see the individual course descriptions. 

ORI1070 Technology and Society (5 credits) forms part of most bachelor’s degree programmes at OsloMet. The course provides a basic understanding of the digital world and how technology influences people’s lives and the way we work, and will help students to enter the labour market with a basic understanding of technology. The Department of Computer Science at OsloMet is responsible for the practical implementation of the course. See the course description for more detailed information.

INTERACT (Interprofessional Interaction with Children and Youths) is an interdisciplinary teaching project at OsloMet, where students from both the health and social care subjects and the teacher/kindergarten teacher education programmes come together in interdisciplinary groups. The purpose is to ensure that the students acquire the skills needed to meet society’s demand for better coordination of services that concern children and young people. INTERACT is based on pedagogical principles of interactivity and spiral learning, with extensive use of digital learning and assessment tools to support learning. 

The teaching (INTER1100, INTER1200 and INTER1300) is carried out in the first week of teaching each spring semester for students in the first, second and third year of the programme, respectively, and is integrated as a compulsory coursework requirement in the existing courses in the programme description. In the Bachelor’s Degree Programme in Prosthetics and Orthotics, INTERACT forms part of the following courses: ORI1300, ORI2300 and ORI3100. For more details see: https://www.oslomet.no/forskning/forskningsprosjekter/interact

Study progress

The following progress requirements apply to the programme:

• Students must have passed the first year of the programme before they can start the second year

• Students must have passed the second year of the programme before they can start the third year.

The programme’s learning outcomes cover a broad spectrum. The work and teaching methods facilitate the integration of knowledge, skills and general competence and are designed to have the greatest possible transfer value to professional practice. Emphasis is therefore placed on using a variety of work methods and alternating between theoretical studies and practical training.

Teaching activities are intended to stimulate active learning and engagement. A considerable amount of self-study is required, as good learning outcomes first and foremost depend on the student's own efforts. This applies both to preparing for and benefiting from teaching activities and academic supervision, but also to attend prepared to skills training that includes clinical and technical processes. Self-study includes both cooperation with fellow students and individual work.

Different types of digital technology are used in the programme to stimulate student-active learning and collaboration. These resources can be used in students’ preparations for teaching activities, as support in collaborative processes or to help practise or test the student’s own knowledge.

The students will receive follow-up throughout the programme in the form of supervision and feedback. The students will at times assess each other’s work and provide feedback to each other. It is also an express expectation that all students contribute to creating a good learning environment for their fellow students through active participation in the different work and teaching methods. More detailed descriptions of the most common work and teaching methods used in the programme are provided below. The individual course descriptions state which work methods each course employs.

Self-study

The attainment of the learning outcomes requires a high degree of self-study. Self-study entails both individual work and cooperation with fellow students, and an awareness of how you best learn. It is recommended that students take the initiative to form study groups.

Group work

Group work is a learning method used in most courses. Students cooperate on specific issues and practical assignments under supervision. Group work is intended to support the learning of subject matter and simultaneously provide training in cooperation, interaction and communication skills, which are necessary in professional practice. When cooperating with others, students are expected to show an interest, behave in a respectful manner and ensure that everyone in the group has been heard in relation to decision-making.

Skills training

Skills training under supervision is a key method used throughout the programme. The students practise tasks that facilitate the development of clinical, practical and technical skills. Skills training is carried out as courses or at the programme’s laboratories at the university. The skills training comprises assignments related to the production of different orthopaedic appliances, work on plaster models and clinical exercises.The assignments can comprise receiving patients, taking a patient’s history and functional examinations. Training clinics are also carried out during the programme, in which the students receive training and supervision when working with live patient models.

The purpose of skills training is to develop action competence, but also to support the understanding of theory by applying it in skills training. Through skills training, the students also experience being assessed by others, thereby experiencing what it is like to be a patient.

Seminars

Seminars are a complex teaching and work method whose main purpose is the processing of subject matter and to provide an arena for discussion between students and the teaching staff. This method requires students to prepare in advance and participate actively in the seminars. Seminars can comprise different activities: short lectures or presentations by the lecturer, presentations by students, discussions, group work, assignments and practical exercises.

Lectures

The field is constantly developing, and resource lectures are primarily used to introduce new subject matter. Lectures are intended to highlight connections and main elements in important topics and to communicate relevant issues. Lectures can be held in auditoriums or made available in a digital format.

Project work

Through project work, the students will learn to identify connections and gain a deeper understanding of the field. They will prepare research questions and work systematically on the problem-solving process, both individually and in cooperation with others. Project work and other forms of group work usually conclude in a seminar with presentations and discussion, but can also conclude in a written report and poster.

Written assignments and bachelor’s thesis

Through written assignments and the bachelor’s thesis, students will formulate research questions for assignments and work on them over time, either individually or in cooperation with other students. They will learn theory and develop skills in using and referencing sources, analysis, discussion and written and oral communication. The primary purpose of this is to develop their ability to reflect critically and search for relevant research knowledge, and their ability to work in an evidence-based manner.

Practical training is the parts of the programme that take place in real-life working situations. The practical training is compulsory, and must have a scope of at least 18 weeks (30 credits). Practical training is organised in such a way that the students will encounter users from all age groups and have the opportunity to take part in interprofessional cooperation. Through the practical training, students are assigned tasks that provide the opportunity to discover and explore prosthetics and orthotics issues, and which require them to work in an evidence-based and patient/person-centred manner. The practical training is an important arena for learning and development of the students’ understanding of the profession, skills, interprofessional cooperation and professional communication.

Practical training ranges from one day of observation to six-week periods of supervised practical training in all three years of the programme.

Observational practice can be carried out at orthopaedic technology enterprises, rehabilitation institutions, assistive technology centres and with orthopaedic appliance suppliers. Supervised practical training is mainly carried out in private orthopaedic technology enterprises.

Supervised practical training

Supervised practical training makes up the main part of the practical training. The placement periods are intended to give students competence in integrating theoretical and evidence-based knowledge with clinical knowledge and to further develop their technical skills. Direct contact with users and other partners in real-life situations form the basis for the students’ acquisition of knowledge, skills and general competence.

Learning outcomes become more advanced from one period to the next, both in terms of knowledge and skills and when it comes to taking responsibility and being capable of working independently.

Requirements for supervision and assessment of students apply to the practical training. The assessment is based on the student's achievement of the learning outcomes for the placement period and suitability assessments on a continuous basis in line with the university's assessment system. This means that a supervisor from the field of practice, referred to as a practical training supervisor, will follow up the student in cooperation with a contact lecturer from the university. The midway and final assessments are carried out by the practical training supervisor in cooperation with the contact lecturer.

OsloMet has, as the only national programme, cooperation agreements with orthopaedic technology enterprises all over Norway. The students must therefore expect a longer commute and/or stay outside the Oslo area during the practical training.

Students must comply with the clothing regulations in force at the practical training establishment. Special requirements for tests or vaccinations may apply at individual practical training establishments.

Internationalisation contributes to raising the quality of education and strengthens the academic community on the programme, at the same time as it prepares the students to function in an increasingly international world. Healthcare professionals must be capable of practising their profession in a diverse society whether they work in Norway or abroad. Global and multicultural issues and perspectives are therefore in focus throughout the programme. The labour market is becoming increasingly international, and this will make knowledge of language and culture more and more important.

International perspectives form part of the learning outcomes in all courses to which they are relevant. It is important for all students to see the profession and function of prosthetists in an international context. 

Students on the Bachelor's Degree Programme in Prosthetics and Orthotics will be well trained in the English language and well equipped to understand and use English specialist terminology. The courses ORI1070 Technology and Society, ORI1060 Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) in Health Care and ORI1050 Public Health and Health Management are taught in English. Some of the teaching in other courses will also be in English. Some of the course literature is in English to allow students to learn the terminology and gain insight into international research. Students therefore learn the specialist terminology in both Norwegian and English.

OsloMet – Oslo Metropolitan University has exchange agreements with university colleges and universities in several countries. Students can take parts of their studies abroad, primarily in connection with the course ORI3100 Orthosis and Prosthesis of the Upper Limbs, and Hip Disarticulation (15 credits) and ORI3900 Bachelor Thesis (15 credits) in the last part of the sixth semester. Visiting students can also take ORI3000 Sustainable Materials, Design and Innovation (15 credits) alongside the joint courses ORI1050 Public Health and Health Management (5 credits) and ORI1070 Technology and Society (5 credits) and ORI1060 Evidence-Based Practice with Norwegian students in the fifth semester.

Reference is made to OsloMet's criteria for student exchanges and information about stays abroad.

Virtual exchange programmes with other prosthetics and orthotics programmes are offered to students who wish to improve their expertise in the field of internationalisation without moving abroad during their studies. This means that the students carry out digital group work together with students from other prosthetics and orthotics programmes abroad.

As the only Norwegian educational institution to train prosthetists, it is particularly important for OsloMet that its staff engage in international cooperation in order to comply with the international standards for such education. The staff participate in networks, projects and research collaboration with colleagues in other countries, and foreign guest lecturers are used in teaching activities.

Required coursework is all forms of work, tests and compulsory attendance that are requirements for a student to be assessed/permitted to take the exam or complete practical training. Required coursework is assessed as approved/not approved. The coursework requirements for each course are described in the respective course descriptions.

The primary purpose of coursework requirements is to contribute to the students' progress and academic development, and to stimulate the students to master the subject matter. The programme's main coursework requirements are in the form of compulsory attendance, written assignments and skills training. Other coursework requirements may apply; see the course descriptions for more information.

Compulsory attendance

The study programme emphasises a social learning environment with student-active learning methods. The students are expected to attend scheduled teaching in order to foster knowledge, skills and clinical competence. Attendance is compulsory for all parts of the programme in which the students cannot achieve the learning outcomes on their own, or for parts of the programme where cooperation with fellow students is a precondition for completing the learning activities.

The minimum attendance requirement is:

• Compulsory attendance of 90% in all forms of practical training
• Attendance of 80% in teaching activities and seminars

Other activities may also be subject to compulsory attendance requirements. The teaching sessions to which compulsory attendance requirements apply must be clearly marked in the lecture schedule programme.

Students are responsible for ensuring that they meet the attendance requirements. If a student exceeds the maximum limit for absence, the lecturer will consider whether it is possible to compensate for the absence by meeting alternative requirements, for example individual oral or written assignments. Whether or not it is possible depends on the extent of the student’s absence and which activities he/she has missed. Absence from compulsory teaching activities that cannot be compensated for may lead to delayed progress in the programme.

Written assignments and compulsory activities

Several courses have written assignments, practical exercises and tests as coursework requirements.

Written and practical work that is not approved must be reworked before re-submission. If the work is not approved on re-submission, the student cannot take the ordinary exam/assessment. The student is entitled to a third attempt before the resit/rescheduled exam. If a piece of required coursework is not approved, this may lead to delayed progress in the programme.

More detailed requirements for written and practical work, deadlines etc. are set out in the course description for the course in question. 

The rules concerning cheating in the Act relating to Universities and University Colleges, the Regulations relating to Studies and Examinations at OsloMet – Oslo Metropolitan University and the Guidelines for Dealing with Cheating and Attempt at Cheating in Connection with an Examination at OsloMet also apply to required coursework.

Different forms of assessment are used that are adapted to the learning outcomes of the different courses in the programme. The forms of assessment used are intended to support learning and document that the students’ competence is adequate in relation to the applicable learning outcomes. The students will receive advice and supervision and have their performance assessed during the programme. It is important and necessary to assess students’ knowledge and skills often, so that the students receive feedback on whether their performance is in line with the programme's requirements and whether they have achieved the learning outcomes.

The assessment of exams and practical training is carried out in accordance with the applicable rules set out in the Act relating to Universities and University Colleges, the Regulations relating to Studies and Examinations at OsloMet and the Guidelines for Appointment and Use of Examiners at OsloMet.

The forms of assessment are described in the individual course descriptions. All exams taken will be stated on the diploma, along with the title of the student’s bachelor’s thesis.

Exams

All courses conclude with a final assessment and/or an exam. The student's performance is assessed on the basis of the learning outcomes. The grades used are pass/fail or letter grades from A to F, with A being the highest grade and E the poorest pass grade. The grade F means that the student has failed the exam.

In some courses, the exam consists of more than one part. The student's performance in each part of the exam is assessed by a separate grade, before a final overall grade is awarded. For courses that use exams consisting of more than one part, the course description will state how the final grade for the course is arrived at on the basis of the separate grades awarded for the different parts.

Most courses have required coursework that must be approved before the student can take the exam. See the course descriptions for more details.

Resits/rescheduled exams

Resit and rescheduled exams are carried out in the same manner as the ordinary exam unless otherwise specified in the course description.

For exams where a percentage of the exam papers are selected for assessment by an external examiner, the external examiner’s assessment should benefit all the students. In such cases, one external and one internal examiner will first grade the selected papers. The internal examiner then continues grading the remaining papers together with another internal examiner. The assessments from the first part are summarised to serve as guidelines for the assessments carried out by the two internal examiners.

Grades awarded for written exams can be appealed, cf. Section 5-3 of the Act relating to Universities and University Colleges. It is not possible to appeal the grades awarded for oral and practical exams. For a group exam, the result of an appeal will only have consequences for the candidates who submitted the appeal. This means that all members of the group do not have to participate in the appeal.

Assessment of external practical training Supervised external practical training is assessed as pass/fail. The assessment is based on the learning outcomes for the course, the student’s specification of the learning outcomes and the formative assessment. The formative assessment, which means the assessment of the student’s knowledge, skills, competence and suitability, is carried out during the placement period, and summarised half-way through and at the end of the placement period.

To pass the practical training, the student must have met the compulsory attendance requirement. A minimum attendance requirement of 90% applies to practical training courses. The attendance requirement includes both the time spent at the training establishment and any teaching provided as part of the programme in relation to the practical training.

The following also applies to absence:

•  less than 10 % absence: The student can complete the practical training course as normal.
• between 10 and 20 % absence: The student can make up for the training/teaching missed, provided that this is doable. This must be agreed with the practical training supervisor and the contact lecturer at the university.
• more than 20 % absence: The student must normally retake the whole practical training course. This will result in delayed progress in the programme.

If the student exceeds the maximum limit for absence, the course will be registered as failed and count as one attempt. If a student is awarded a fail grade for a practical training course twice, they will normally have to leave the programme, cf. the Regulations Relating to Studies and Examinations at OsloMet, Chapter 8.

Suitability Diplomas for the completed programme will only be awarded to graduates who are suited to practise the profession. A student who represents a potential threat to the physical or mental health, rights and safety of their patients and colleagues is not suited for the profession. Suitability assessments are made on a continuous basis throughout the study programme, and will be included in the overall assessment of the students’ professional and personal suitability for work as health personnel. Students who demonstrate little ability to master the prosthetics profession must be informed of this at the earliest possible stage of the programme. They will be given supervision and advice on how to improve, or be advised to leave the programme. Special suitability assessments are used in exceptional cases, cf. the Regulations concerning Suitability Assessment in Higher Education. For more information about suitability assessment, see https://student.oslomet.no/skikkethetsvurdering.

Programme description:

Approved by the Academic Affairs Committee at the Faculty of Health Sciences on 10 February 2021

Applies for students starting the programme in 2021.